Isochronizing and synchronizing system.



P. M. RAI'NEY.

ISOCHRONIZING AND SYNCHRONIZING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4. 1916.

1,292,048. Patented Jan. 21,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

Cokrvcfing EunHwHrHnrHn P. M. RAINEY. ISOGHRONIZI NG AND SYNCHRONIZING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4. l9l6. i 1,292,048.' 4 Patented Ja11.21,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'To all'whom it may concern:

- m STAES PATENT orFioE.

COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

1SOCHRONIZING AND synoimomzme SYSTEM.

Be it known that 1, PAUL M. RAINEY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at West Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Isochronizing and Synchronizing Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates broadly to improvements in isochronizing and synchronizing systems,'and more particularly to such systerms as are employed in the multiplex print ing telegraph-art;

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple and improved means of securing isochronism and also the proper phase relation to produce synchronism of rotatable bodies located. at distant points and connected by a transmission line.

One of the principal features ofthis invention is the improved method of and means for initiating isochronous rotation of rotatable bodies and obtaining the proper phase relation therebetwen to secure synchronism of separated current impulse distributers, whereby, from an inactive state, operative conditions may be obtained and maintained with a minimum amount of adjustment and loss of time. This invention 7 contemplates the employment of a speed controlling mechanism, for example, an electromechanical vibrator or tuned fork, located at the correcting station to control a local circuit for electrically driving a rotary apparatus. The apparatus so rotated sends to the distant or corrected station, by means of suitable contact connections, a predetermined number of impulses for each revolution of the apparatus, which impulses actuate a shutter, or other suitable means,'-for use in adjusting the driving mechanism at a the corrected station, to produce at that station an isochronous motion, that is, a

motion of the same rate as that of the mechanism at the correcting station. After isoch ronism has once been obtained, the line impulses from the correcting station actuate a mechanism "at the corrected station for securing the proper phase relation between the distributers at the separated stations, so

that synchronism may be automatically ob- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21', 1919.

I Application filed November 4, 1916. Serial No. 129,462.

after described is simpler in construction,

consists of fewer parts, and provides means whereby the relative rates of motion of the two distributors may be observed at any time while the system is in operation.

1 PAUL M. EAINEY, OF WEST HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGN'OR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC I The above and other objects of this invention will be fully set forth in the following description and claims, and will be more readily understood by reference to'the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 discloses diagrammatically the mechanism located at the corrected station, while Fig. 2 represents a portion of the apparatus used at the correcting station. While only so much of the apparatus is here shown as to give a full understanding of the operation of the system, it is the usual practice to equip all of the stations so that each one may be used as the correcting or corrected station.

The correcting station is provided with a synchronous motor or phonic wheel 5 which may be of any well known type driven by.

the current impulses from an electromechanical vibrator or driving fork 6. While a phonic wheel of the La Cour type is shown, it is to be understood that other means such, for example, as a direct current motor may be used. The shaft of motor 5 operates a current distributer 8 which is composed of a contact arm 10 and conducting segments The number of segments 11, as shown in the drawinggis'double the number of poles on the rotor of the motor 5, although such an arrangement is not essential. The segments are normally divided into two groups composed of alternate segments. one

group being connected-to a source of positive current 12, and the other group onnected to a source of negative current 13. This arrangement, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained, may, however, be so alteredby a key 14 that the segments are separated into two groups each composed of consecu- 1 tor 26. Motor 26 operates a distributer 27 tive se gments over one half of the circumference. The Contact arm 10 of distributer 8 is connected through one coil of a polarized relay 15 to a transmission line L which leads to the distant corrected station. The system may be ,duplexed by providing an artificial line AL with a differential relay or bridge arrangement as is well known in the art.

' The armature 16 of relay 15, which is shown connected to a grounded source of current supply 17, may be employed for controlling a local circuit for effecting various operations, such, for example, as type selections.

It will be readily understood that when the driving fork 6 is once struck or set in motion, it will continue to vibrate at a constant uniform speed under the action of operating magnet 18 until the circuit of-magnet 18 is permanently opened.

From the foregoin description, it will be readily understood that under normal conditions, as fork 6 causes the rotation of motor 5 in a well-known manner, the listributer 8 will impart current impulses to the line relay 15 and transmission line L, the frequency of such impulses depending upon the rate of vibration of the driving fork 6, the number of poles on rotor of motor 5 and number of segments on the distributer 8.

At the corrected station the transmission line L .passes through the windings of a polarized line relay 22 and an artificial line AL in a manner well known. There is also an electromechanical vibrator or driving fork 23, drlvenby an operatlng magnet 25 to cause the actuatlon of a synchronous mothrough a shaft 28 inthe same manner as the apparatus at the correcting station.

The frequency of vibration of the tines offork 23 is adjustable by means of adjusting screw 30, which may be employed for varying the effective length of the tines.

This adjustment may be accomplished in any other well-known manner, such, for example, as by the use of slidable weights mounted upon the tines, as disclosed in a copending application, Serial No. 117,651,

filed August 30, 1916. In addition to its operating magnet 25, the fork 23 is acted upon by a speed controller comprising a controlling or buffer magnet 32. The ac-- tion of-this yibratory mechanism and the manner in which current impulses maintain an isochronous condition between the correcting and corrected distributers after such a condition is once obtained are described and claimed in a copending application, Serial No. 827,315, filed March 26, 1914, issued as Patent No. 1,279,905.

The shaft 28 carries a stroboscopic chart" or disk 40 provided with'alternate black and white segments, the number of which. should bear a fixed relation to the number of times the shutter magnet 44 operates in response I to the impulses sent out by one revolution of the correcting distributers. M

When it is desired to obtain isochronism between the distributers atthe correcting and corrected stations, a switch 41 at the corrected station is moved upwardly or to its off-normal position, thereby closing a left-hand contact through lever 42, and

another left-hand contact 82 through lever ed source of current supply 84 is connected to the common correcting ring for supplying correcting impulses to the controlling magnet 32while the speed of fork 23 is being adjusted. It will be readily seen that since the magnet 44 is controlled-by the line current impulses from the correcting station, if the speed of rotation of the corrected distributer and consequently the speed of rotation of the chart 40 is such that it appears to be stationary when viewed through the opening in plate 52, which is controlled by the'shutter 51, then the electromechanical vibrators 6 and 23 will be operating at the same frequency of vibration, and consequently motor 5 and dis tributer 8, and motor 26 and distributer 27 controlled respectively by said vibrators, will be traveling at substantially a constant and uniform speed, and will therefore cause all apparatus associated therewith to operate in unison. For convenience, the chart 40 may be viewed through the shutter opening from any suitable position by the employment of mirrors positioned properly. Usually, it is advisable to obtain this isochronous condition between the distributers with switch 75 moved to the right. or in its off-normal position, so that the buffer will be in its operated position during half a revolution of motor 26, and in its unoperated position duringthe remaining half. revolution, as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

When controlling magnet 32 1s energized and its buffer is operated, the amplitude of" vibration is restricted and the frequency of vibration is increased in accordance with well-known physical principles. In order, therefore, to have the buffer operate most advantageously to control the rotation of the contact arm 56 of distributer 27, the

fork 23 should tend to vibrate too slowly when the controller magnet 32 is continuously deenergized, and too rapidly when this magnet is continuously energized. It will, therefore, be readily seen that the best condition in which to adjust the speed of fork 23 is when the buffer is in its operated position half of the time, that is, when the fork is vibrating at approximately its mean rate. Speed variations, within limits, either of acceleration or retardation, are automatically corrected by retarding or accelerating electrical impulse and the proper phase relation between te two distributers maintained. These speed variations are corrected by means of the speed controlling magnet 32, which is controlled by a control-' ling relay whose action is governed by current impulses from over the line.

The operation of the controlling relay 55 is controlled by the line impulses through the agency of the line relay 22, a polarized leak relay and correcting segments of the distributer 27, as will be now explained. The windings of relays 22 and 60 are so arranged'that when the armature 45 of relay 22 is against its contact 65, armature 62of relay 60 is also against its contact 63. The energization of relay 22 so'that its armature 45 moves from contact 65 to contact 61 "causes the armature 62 of relay 60 to also contact 61, armature 45, contact 63, armature 62, contact 81, lever43, correcting brush and segments through relay 55 to ground. These impulses actuate relay 55 for controlling the operation of buffer magnet 32. The correcting segments of the distributer 27 are shown only partly developed, alternate segments being normally connected together in two equal groups, one group connected to one winding of controlling relay 55 and the other group connected to the other winding of this relay. There are twice as many correcting segments as there are receiving seg ments, and they are so arranged that a line midway between each pair of receiving segments comes on a line midway between a pair of correcting segments. WVith this arrangement, the correcting brush will always be interconnecting one of the two sets of correcting segments with the common correcting ring when a local correcting impulse is produced by the line impulses.

The contacts 61 and 65, cotiperating with the armature '45 of line relay 22, are respectively connected to a grounded source of electric energy 46, and ground. Relay 60 is polarized and its windings, the. sources of energy 68 and 46, and resistances 69 and 70 are so proportioned andarranged that rthe flow of current from source 68- through one of the windings of relay 60 to the grounded point between the windings is overcome, to alter the position of armature 62 by current. flowing in the other winding from source 46 when armature 45 is against contact 61.

As previously stated, the normal arrangement of the correcting segments of distrib uter 27 is two equal groups composed of alternate segments. This arrangement may, however, be altered as hereinbefore mentioned to bring the correcting and corrected distributers into phase. The phasing switch is provided with two levers 76 and 77. Lever 76 is connected to one of the windings of relay 55 and also directly and by means of its left-hand contact 78 to one group of alternate correcting segments, while lever 7 7 is connected to the other winding of relay 55 and also directly and by means of its left-hand contact 79 to the other group of alternate correcting segments, When, however, switch 75 is thrown to the right, this condition is so altered that all of the consecutive correcting segments over half of the circumference of distributer 27 make up a group, while all of the consecutive segments over the other half of the circumference of distributer 27 make up the other group. This alteration in the grouping of the correcting segments provides that the correcting operation of relay 55, assuming that corrections are only made on line reversals from positive-to negative can only take place once for each revolution of the corrected distributer. If, therefore, key 14 at the correcting distributer be now thrown to its righthand or off-normal position, so as to connect consecutive segments over half the circumference into groups to send out two impulses per revolution, it will be readily apparent that there is only one instant in the rotation of distributer 27 at which correcting magnet 55 may become operative. If the brushes of distributer 27 are behind the brushes of distributer 8 in phase at this instant, although traveling at the same speed, the correcting relay 55 and correcting magnet 32 will cause the buffer to accelerate the speed of the tines of fork 23, and consequently distributer 27, until this distributer has gained an angle sufficient to bring the correcting and corrected distributers into phase. If, however, distributer 27 is ahead of distributer 8 in phase at this instant, correcting relay 55 will maintain the circuit through magnet 32 open, and consequently correcting magnet 32 will not be ener ized. The spring on the armature of magnet 32 will keep the buffer from engagement with the fork 23 and since, as previously pointed out, fork 23,.when unaffected by the buffer, tends to run too slowly, the speed of distributer 27 will be decreased until it is in fer will become active to maintain the disthis distributer, the operator at the corrected phase with distributer 8, whereupon the buftributers in synchronism. In order that the state of synchronism of the impulse distributers may be observed at any time during the operation of the system, an auxiliary key or switch 85 is provided whichmay be depressed, thereby closing contact 86. Shutter magnet 44 will then be operated by the line impulses acting through line relay 22, and the disk 40-may be viewed through the shutter opening 52, the same as when the ,isochronizing switch 41 is thrown up or to its oil-normal position for getting the distributers into isochronism.

Assuming the apparatus at both stations to be in a state of rest, the method of obtaining synochronism between the two stations operates the motor, causing the arm 10,

driven thereby, to sweep over contacts 11, sending impulses out over line L. Upon the receipt 'of a signal from the correcting sta tion that the distributer 10 is in operation, or prior to the sending of a signal to start station throws the isoehronizing switch ll into its off-normal or isochronizing position, thereby closing contacts 80 and 82 and also throws the switch 75 to the right thereby connecting together the adjacent correcting segments on each half of the distributer.

The switch 14 at the correcting station may remain in its normal or left hand positioin ofmagnet 44 will be vibrated at the same rate as the frequency of the line impulses received from the correcting station. Therefore, if the speed of vibration of the electromechanical vibrator 23 can be adjusted to drive the synchronous motor 26 so that the black and white segments of chart 40, when viewed through the openingcontrolled by the shutter magnet, appear to stand still, then it will be apparent that the motor 26,

and conscquently'the distributer 27, is rotating at the same speed as motor 5 and distributer 8. When this condition is obtained, the switch 75 is moved to the left and the isochronizing switch 41 is moved to its lower or normal position, thereby disconnecting the shutter magnet from the line and connecting the buffer magnet 32, correcting relay 55 and correcting segments in series with the leak relay 60 and armature of line relay 22. Therefore, as hereinbefore explained, the line impulses acting through the buffer magnet 32 will regulate the frequency of vibration of the tines of fork 23, and consequently thespeed of. rotation of the distributer 27 so that the distributer arms 56 and 10 always maintain the same phase angle, or the distributers will be in synchronism.

From the above description, it will be readily seen that isochronism between two rotatable bodies and the proper phase relation therebetween for securing synchronism may beobtained and maintained With the least possible amount of adjustment and loss of time. 9 T I What is claimed is:

1. A method of isochronizing two rotatable members oper'atively interconnected by a transmission line and operated by independent sources of motion, which consists in operating an indicating mechanism associated with one of said members by impulses over said line which are predetermined and controlled solely by the other said member,

the other said member asindicated by said mechanism, and then causing the relative speeds of the two rotatable members to be controlled solely by the impulses from one of said sources.

2. In a multiplex telegraph system, independently driven rotary correcting and cor-' rected distributers, a transmission line interconnecting said distributers, means at the corrected station and controlled by impulses from the correcting station for determining the relative speed of rotation of thetwo dis- 'tributers, means for regulating the speed of the corrected distributer to correspond with the speed of the correcting distributer, and

-means for rendering either of the aforementioned means responsiveto line current impulses.

3. In a multiplex telegraph system, independently driven rotary correcting and corrected distributers, a transmission line interconnecting said distributers, electromechanical means at the corrected station and controlled by impulses from the correcting'station, a disk rotating with said corrected distributer and cooperating with said means for determining the relative speed of rotation of the two distributers, and means for adjusting the speed of the corrected distributer to correspond with the speed of the correcting distributer.

4. In a synchronizing system comprising a current impulse transmitter, driving mechanism therefor located at a correcting station, a current impulse distributer and vice responsive to the line current impulses,

5. An isochronizing system comprising a current impulse distributer, driving mecha-" nism therefor located at a correcting station, a current impulse distributer and driving mechanism therefor located at a corrected station, a controller at the corrected station cooperating with said driving mechanism for controlling the speed thereof, a transmission line interconnecting said distributers, means at the corrected station for determining the relative speed of the distributers, and an isochronizing switch and clrcult connectlons therefor for interchangeably causing the line current impulses to control the operation of said means or of said controller.

6. In a multiplex telegraph system, the

combination of a current impulse distributer, a phonic motor and vibrator at a controlling station; a current impulse distributer, synchronous motor, vibrator and speed correcting device at a controlled station; a trans-- mission line interconnecting said distributers, a speed indicating device at the controlled station, and means for interchangeably causing the line current impulses to control the operation of said speed correcting device or said speed indicating device.

7 In a multiplex -telegraph system, a current impulse distributer, driving mechanism therefor located at a controlling station, a current impulse distributer and driving mechanism therefor located at a controlled station, means at the controlled station for governing the speed of the driving mechanism, means for determining the relative speed of the two distributers, and means at the controlled station whereby either of said means may be operated singly or simultaneously by line current impulses.

In witness Whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 2nd day of November, A. D, 1916.

PAUL M. RAINEY. 

